There is a serious shortage of some prescription medicines in SWF and elsewhere at present. Common medications like ramipril, co-codamol, and dispersible aspirin are affected. Please see the attached generic NHS leaflet. Please do not blame pharmacy staff or GP surgery staff; it isn’t their fault.

Sunday 20 September 2026

New and updated items first

The serious shortage of some prescription medicines in SWF and elsewhere continues and worsens (19 September 2026). Common medications like ramipril, co-codamol, and dispersible aspirin are affected. This is an updated link to current information Current Drug Shortages List – Drugs.com .Please also see the attached generic NHS leaflet. Please do not blame pharmacy staff or GP surgery staff; it isn’t their fault.

Pharmacy First expands to five more conditions

Conditions Pharmacists can offer prescription medicine for are:

• impetigo (aged 1 year and over)
• infected insect bites (aged 1 year and over)
• earache (aged 1 to 17 years)
• sore throat (aged 5 years and over)
• sinusitis (aged 12 years and over)
• urinary tract infections (UTIs) (women aged 16 to 64 years)
• shingles (aged 18 years and over)

Pharmacists can also recommend treatments and give guidance for everyday health issues, including:

• Coughs, colds, and flu
• Mild skin rashes, eczema, acne, and athlete’s foot
• Earwax and conjunctivitis
• Hay fever, allergies, headaches, and minor sprains or strains
• Tummy troubles like diarrhoea and constipation

The number of GP appointments offered to Essex patients in July rose by more than 1,200 compared to June. This included a rise in the number of patients offered ‘urgent’ same-day appointments (75.3%) and more people seeing clinical staff such as nurses and pharmacists, who may be better suited to their needs. The rise demonstrates a consistent increase in the number of GP appointments offered at Essex practices over three-months from 863,561 in May to 1,006,092 in June. While patients are helping practices make better use of appointments, with 200 fewer missed in July than in June, more than 32,100 appointments were still missed during July.

At the end of August, CQC published its report on the Essex mental health trust,  EPUT’s, leadership. It concluded again that it Requires Improvement. According to an EPUT news update, the report found several areas of good practice, including: a collegiate and well-formed Board; being a valued role as a partner in the wider Essex health and care system;  good financial management; and, innovative future plans. Inspectors also identified areas needing improvement, in particular around culture, helping staff feel able to raise concerns, continuing to improve leadership development and ensuring a consistent and timely approach to incident management and investigation and wider sharing of lessons learned. EPUT is committed to continuing to build on the improvements it has made already, including its Time to Care programme.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a common condition that, if left untreated, can increase the risk of serious health problems such as stroke and heart attack. Our research report of June 2023 found this to be the largest condition of patients in SWF’s Primary Care Network. Essex ICB, is encouraging people to have their blood pressure checked. Whilst thousands of people across Essex have been diagnosed with hypertension, there are thousands more who have high blood pressure but don’t know it. It often has no noticeable symptoms so regular blood pressure checks can help identify high blood pressure early, allowing you to take steps to protect your health and reduce the risk of serious consequences. If you don’t know your numbers, or have not had them checked recently, now is a good time to arrange a blood pressure check. It’s a simple but important step in protecting your health.

NHS Essex is committed to identifying more people with high blood pressure and ensuring they receive the right advice, support and treatment. Over the next five years, it will focus on detecting high blood pressure earlier in people aged over 40, reaching communities that may face barriers to regular health checks and helping people stay healthier for longer. Improving the early detection and management of high blood pressure is also a key priority within the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan.

Where you can have a blood pressure check

It’s simple and easy for people to have their blood pressure checked. You can walk into a community pharmacy, if you are 40 years and over, and ask to have your blood pressure taken. It’s even more important to do this if you haven’t had your blood pressure checked in the last five years. People diagnosed with high blood pressure (hypertension) should continue to monitor it regularly. This can be done using a personal blood pressure monitor at home or, by borrowing a monitor through the Essex County Council libraries Blood Pressure Monitor Loan Scheme. Some participating GP practices may also be able to lend patients a blood pressure monitor for use at home. Where available, patients can use a blood pressure point-of-care testing machine at their GP practice to check their blood pressure without needing an appointment. Availability may vary, so please check with your practice beforehand.

There’s a dedicated page on the NHS Essex website that has all the information you need about blood pressure, what a normal reading is and how to lower your blood pressure too. You can also watch a short video which explains more about blood pressure. Know your numbers; it could save your life. Blood pressure and hypertension | Check your numbers in Essex

The July key performances of our hospitals at Broomfield, Basildon and Southend were:

• Emergency performance

71.6% (73% in June) of patients were seen, treated and either admitted or discharged within four hours in our emergency departments and at Orsett Hospital, against the national standard of 75.4%. This was just below the Trust’s target for July of 72.2%. Performance at Basildon was 69.7%; at Southend 72.2% and at Broomfield 69.7%. The performance nationally and for the East of England was 75.4 per cent. [This is all during a month of heatwaves.]

• Ambulance handover times

The average time for ambulances to handover patients was 44 minutes (38 in June). This compares with 33 minutes across the East of England and 37 minutes nationally. 

• Cancer diagnosis and elective waiting lists

In June 68.2% (66.3% in June) of patients received cancer diagnosis results within 28 days, against a standard of 80%, while 54% (48.4% in May) received their treatment within 62 days against a national target of 85 per cent. This shows continuing improvement. It’s recognised there is still a long way to go to provide patients with the timely care and treatment aspired to. The Trust is committed to achieving the standard and are improving month on month.

What is being done to improve?

A targeted approach is being taken across all three sites to address the dip in ambulance handover times. The hospitals are working closely with the East of England Ambulance Service and holding regular site meetings to fully understand any delays. 

An emergency care improvement programme is in place across all sites. This includes introducing ED streaming, expanding Same Day Emergency Care services to seven days a week, improving ward rounds and supporting earlier discharge.

Cancer performance is improving, and there is continuing focus on the most challenged pathways, including head and neck cancer.

The El Niño event that is developing over the Pacific Ocean is likely to be the strongest in living memory, the Met Office has warned. Experts suggest effects for the UK expected to be:

• September to December: a higher chance of a wet autumn and early winter, bringing extra rain and storms.
• January to March: The later part of winter and early spring carry an increased chance of colder weather or winter extremes.
• The World Meteorological Organisation warns this event is exceptionally strong and will last until at least February 2027.
• Because of potential global food and supply chain disruptions caused by extreme weather worldwide, some UK officials have advised the public to practice basic emergency resilience and keep a small stockpile of essential supplies.

Plans for future heat health risks and all extreme weather events are essential.

UKHSA has declared a national outbreak of Salmonella food poisoning. As of 7 September two people have died and there have been 549 confirmed cases (322 in a cluster from 11 August 2025, 186 in a cluster from 27 May 2025 and 41 in a cluster from 27 January 2026). The cases continue to be associated with eating at a range of food outlets, including small cafes, restaurants and takeaway businesses, not eggs cooked at home. It’s believed the outbreak is linked to imported eggs. About a third needed hospital care. Don’t eat undercooked food.

National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports have restarted. In week 36 to 6 September:

• Flu activity increased and is circulating at baseline levels;
• COVID-19 activity increased across some indicators and is circulating at baseline levels;
• respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity remained low and is circulating at baseline levels.

NHS England in its weekly national report included this Essex item:   Charity funding helps mental health patients stay active and connected in Essex – A new project funded by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust’s charity is helping patients moving into community care keep up sports they had enjoyed as part of a therapeutic programme of care on the Trust’s specialist mental health wards.

On Monday, NHS England announced that almost a quarter of a million young people have had potentially life-saving protection against MenB (meningococcal B) via the limited time vaccine offer available to young people most at risk. Two doses of the vaccine are needed for protection at least 28 days apart. We are urging young people to book their second jab now, as freshers weeks start across the country over the next few weeks. All eligible young people can book their MenB vaccine by booking online or visiting a participating pharmacy. Other vaccines are also promoted particularly at universities and further education settings to protect against MenACWY (protects from life-threatening illnesses such as meningitis and sepsis), HPV (a very common group of Human papillomavirus viruses) and MMR [measles, mumps & rubella (German measles)].

UKHSA’s Mosquito Watch surveillance scheme has detected invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and larvae at residential properties in east London. Enhanced surveillance and trapping activities are now taking place, and control measures have been implemented to destroy the larvae. This is first time that Aedes aegypti has been identified breeding in the UK. It is the fourth time this species has been detected in the UK in recent years. While Aedes aegypti can transmit diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus in countries where these infections are circulating, the risk to the public from this finding is assessed as very low. There is no evidence that these mosquitoes have caused human infections and importantly, to date, there is no evidence of the mosquitoes or larvae being detected in nearby public areas. It’s believed these mosquitoes are accidental importations. However, it is expected that in a warming climate, we will continue to see incursions of invasive mosquitoes, and increased reports of them being able to survive in the UK. 

The Measles outbreak continues but is slowing. Parents should get children vaccinated and check children’s vaccination status.  In 2026 to 31 August 983 English measles cases have been confirmed, exceeding the 2025 total of 959. London has seen 51% of the cases. Two children and one adult have died of measles in 2026. Essex remains in danger.  

The latest childhood vaccines data for the year to March 2026 shows signs that the uptake of key vaccines offered as part of the NHS childhood vaccination schedule by age 5 are stabilising. This comes after a decade of slow decline across all vaccines in England. Despite this, the current uptake rates are still well below the World Health Organisation 95% target and uptake for children at age one and age two has decreased again for all vaccines. Parents are reminded that getting their children vaccinated at the right time is essential to protect them when they are most vulnerable and ensure they are ready to thrive when starting nursery and school.

UKHSA has published an excellent guide for parents and carers about keeping children healthy this school year. It advises following four main steps to keep children well and in school. They are:

Teach Good Hygiene

• Wash hands often with soap and warm water.
• Use tissues to catch coughs and sneezes, then bin them right away.
• Clean hands after using the tissue or before eating.

Know When to Stay Home

• Keep your child home if they have a high temperature or fever.
• Send them to school with a mild cold or runny nose only if they feel well otherwise.
• Keep children home for 48 hours after vomiting or diarrhoea stops to stop stomach bugs from spreading.

Spot Common Signs

• Look out for scarlet fever with a sore throat, fever, and a sandpaper-like rash.
• Watch for measles signs like a runny nose, cough, and a blotchy face rash.
• Check for itchy, spotty rashes from chickenpox.

Get Vaccinated

• Make sure your child gets all routine childhood vaccines.
• Take up seasonal offers like the flu vaccine to stay protected.

Pregnant women, children aged 2 and 3 years old (on 31 August 2026), and children in a clinical risk group aged from 6 months to 17 years can book now for flu vaccinations that began on 1 September. All other eligible cohorts – including people aged 65 and over, people who are immunocompromised or their close contacts, adults with certain long-term health conditions, care home residents and carers – can book now and select an appointment date and time from 1 October. SWF GP invitations will be sent out.

As last year, 2026 COVID-19 vaccinations will be offered to those:

• aged 75 or over (including those who are 75 by 31 January 2027);
• aged 6 months to 74 years with a weakened immune system because of a health condition or treatment;
• live in a care home for older adults.

You will get a GP invitation. Appointments will be from 1 October. If eligible you can book online or using the NHS App. Vaccinations will also be available at walk-in sites, community pharmacies and in care homes.

‘The Big Conversation on Care’ provides the opportunity to say what we want and expect from a future National Care Service. We’ll arrange a SWF consultation. Our weekly newsletter includes everything we’ve published in the previous 7-days. Libraries provide online services and help with internet access. For welfare information and subscription to our newsletter, email swfhealthsocial@outlook.com or leave a voicemail on 01245 322079.  https://swfhealthsocial.co.uk/